# The Tequila Thread



## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

Just finished a bottle of Mascarillo Anejo that someone muled up from Puerta Vallarta for me. Super-nice stuff. The oak shared the stage with pepper and citrus was in the background. A complex tequila that had a lot of body. Definatly something I'll miss...


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## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

I want to be able to love and appreciate tequila so badly. However, once I start drinking it I simply don't stop until its too late to notice how good it is. You know the song "10 Rounds of Jose Cuervo"? Its a baaad idea to take a shot every time he says "Jose Cuervo" during the song...


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

Never heard the song. For my $$, Jose Cuervo Riserva de la Familia is the best ever. The bums just raised it $30 a bottle retail.


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## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

lbiislander said:


> Never heard the song. For my $$, Jose Cuervo Riserva de la Familia is the best ever. The bums just raised it $30 a bottle retail.


I have never had the Riserva. I actually HATE the regular Cuervo. I generally drink Patron or Cabo Wabo when I drink tequila.


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

The only thing the Riserva and the Cuervo Gold (of shots in the bar) have in common, is the name. One is $20 and one is $130. Guess which is which LOL


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## cigar loco (Jan 21, 2010)

I'm more of a Blanco man myself, this works for me !














 :dude:


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

JGD said:


> I have never had the Riserva. I actually HATE the regular Cuervo. I generally drink Patron or Cabo Wabo when I drink tequila.


Interestingly you don't always get what you pay for with Tequila. Cabo Wabo and Patron are considered overpriced on The Blue Agave forum. My personal choice is 7 Leguas but El Tesoro is probably the favourite from that forum. Both of these are cheaper than the brands you mentioned.

The Cuervo Reserva is a very nice super-anejo but the oak influance is very dominant. Depends what you want. A lovely drink no question. If given to me blind I couldn't guess between rum, whisky or brandy. I'd still be greatful for a glass though...


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## Jordan303 (Aug 16, 2008)

Do you guys drink it straight or mix it? Was just watching a good eats episode on you tube and he "re invented" the margarita. Was thinking about trying it.


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

I think given the quality (and price) of the bottles mentioned, most of us would be drinking it straight.


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## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

Jordan303 said:


> Do you guys drink it straight or mix it? Was just watching a good eats episode on you tube and he "re invented" the margarita. Was thinking about trying it.


I generally drink it straight. But I will have a margarita every once in a while.

Here is my margarita recipe (it may take some work, but its damn good):

For any quantity (one glass, one pitcher, etc.)...

1/3 Top Shelf Tequila.
1/3 Tripple Sec.
1/3 FRESHLY Squeezed Lime Juice - You NEED it to be freshly squeezed - none of the store bought stuff.
Add Agave Nectar to taste.

Serve over ice with a salt rimmed glass.


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## Citizen Zero (Nov 1, 2010)

I love tequila and it kills me to mix it with anything, give it to me warm with no training wheels. I just absolutely love the taste but I cannot drink the silvers/blancos/clear tequilas. To me it has absolutely no taste. I'll take almost anything with a nice gold color.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

lbiislander said:


> Never heard the song. For my $$, Jose Cuervo Riserva de la Familia is the best ever. The bums just raised it $30 a bottle retail.


Listen to the song, you'll like it!

YouTube - Tracy Byrd - Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo

BTW the Riserva de la Familia is the only Jose Cuervo worth drinking. It's dam good. The rest SUCK!


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

I drink Tequila often and I do enjoy Don Julio Blanco and Don Eduardo Silver on occasion. However, my personal favorite brand is Casa Noble. I love their Blanco, Reposado and Anejo.

Casa Noble is my number one Tequila Brand of choice!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

I don't drink Tequila often when i do its shots and its good old cheap Mezcal with the worm at the bottom the worm is the best part. Cause i really don't like the taste of Tequila its a social thing.
My 2nd favorite Tequila is this!Lol
YouTube - Pee Wee Herman - Tequila


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> I don't drink Tequila often when i do its shots and its good old cheap Mezcal with the worm at the bottom the worm is the best part. Cause i really don't like the taste of Tequila its a social thing.
> My 2nd favorite Tequila is this!Lol
> YouTube - Pee Wee Herman - Tequila


I hate to disappoint you my friend, but Mezcal is not Tequila, nor is Sotol. Both are often referred to as a Tequila but they are all three different libations. Yes, they are all made from the Agave Plant, however, the process for producing each is very different from each other!

Therefore, Tequila is Tequila, Mezcal is Mezcal and Sotol is Sotol!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I hate to disappoint you my friend, but Mezcal is not Tequila, nor is Sotol. Both are often referred to as a Tequila but they are all three different libations. Yes, they are all made from the Agave Plant, however, the process for producing each is very different from each other!
> 
> Therefore, Tequila is Tequila, Mezcal is Mezcal and Sotol is Sotol!


Your not disappointing me i know what it is its crap i thought i said that or attempted to anyways. I only drink it in shots at social functions. Once again its a social thing i do with friends. I have tried all the high end real Tequilas stuff that costs hundreds of dollars a bottle. I don't like it either it all tastes the same to meu


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Your not disappointing me i know what it is its crap i thought i said that or attempted to anyways. I only drink it in shots at social functions. Once again its a social thing i do with friends. I have tried all the high end real Tequilas stuff that costs hundreds of dollars a bottle. I don't like it either it all tastes the same to meu


In other words, it's not your thing! LOL!

When you do socialize it seems that you choose Mezcal over the others. It seems that you tend to chose Mezcal, when you socialize, so there must be something about it that attracts you over the others. Yes, Mezcal is usually pretty cheap, etc., but there are some really fine Mezcals than get up near $75 and more that are completely different than the cheap ones. You never know, it may be something that you'd enjoy. If you don't even enjoy the high end Tequilas you probably will not enjoy the higher end Sotols, which are very similar to Tequila.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

JohnnyFlake said:


> In other words, it's not your thing! LOL!
> 
> When you do socialize it seems that you choose Mezcal over the others. It seems that you tend to chose Mezcal, when you socialize, so there must be something about it that attracts you over the others. Yes, Mezcal is usually pretty cheap, etc., but there are some really fine Mezcals than get up near $75 and more that are completely different than the cheap ones. You never know, it may be something that you'd enjoy. If you don't even enjoy the high end Tequilas you probably will not enjoy the higher end Sotols, which are very similar to Tequila.


That's exactly right John i just don't care for the taste as you have said. So for me it is something i do to socialize. For example i have many friends that really don't like cigars. They couldn't tell a Cuban from a swisher sweet. But if we are all hanging out and i pass them around they light up as well. By the time we get to the end of the bottle i am so lit i actually look forward to the worm. LOL!


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

Jordan303 said:


> Do you guys drink it straight or mix it? Was just watching a good eats episode on you tube and he "re invented" the margarita. Was thinking about trying it.


Always straight, no ice to water it down and sometimes a squeeze of a lime wedge.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

lbiislander said:


> always straight, no ice to water it down and sometimes a squeeze of a lime wedge.


+11111111111111111111!!!!!!


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## cigar loco (Jan 21, 2010)

Here some nice Tequila !!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Damn that's sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## jeepthing (Jul 16, 2009)

Got to love a good shot of Cabo wabo


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## Jordan303 (Aug 16, 2008)

Ooo lots of responses. I might have to dip in and get my feet wet. Just starting to enjoy scotch and getting past that burn. Been hearing good things about tequila, ill check out my local stores and see if they have any small bottles of the stuff you guys mentioned. 

Keeping on the topic for new guys. What kind of glassware do you use, and is supposed to be drank warm,room temp, chilled, or cold?

Lastly when sipping do you add a few drops of water to open it up like scotch or no?


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I drink Tequila often and I do enjoy Don Julio Blanco and Don Eduardo Silver on occasion. However, my personal favorite brand is Casa Noble. I love their Blanco, Reposado and Anejo.
> 
> Casa Noble is my number one Tequila Brand of choice!


Damm fine tequila that Casa Noble. Only had the Crystal so far but have a bottle of the Repo in the cupboard. You have better taste than me Sir!



JohnnyFlake said:


> I hate to disappoint you my friend, but Mezcal is not Tequila, nor is Sotol. Both are often referred to as a Tequila but they are all three different libations. Yes, they are all made from the Agave Plant, however, the process for producing each is very different from each other!
> 
> Therefore, Tequila is Tequila, Mezcal is Mezcal and Sotol is Sotol!


A quick question Johnny: Do you know what differences there are in production methods between Mezcal and Raicilla? I have an unopened half-bottle of Raicilla and was wondering what to make of it. The only thing I've dug up so far is that you can only use 1 type of agave when making Raicilla whereas you can use multiple types of agave when making Mezcal.


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

Jordan303 said:


> Been hearing good things about tequila, ill check out my local stores and see if they have any small bottles of the stuff you guys mentioned.
> 
> Keeping on the topic for new guys. What kind of glassware do you use, and is supposed to be drank warm,room temp, chilled, or cold?
> 
> Lastly when sipping do you add a few drops of water to open it up like scotch or no?


Hi Jordan:

1) The LCBO pricing on tequilas are not encouraging compared to prices in the US or Mexico. You can get (horribly overpriced) 350ml bottles of Don Julio and that's about it for decent small bottles of Tequila. I'd like Cazadores Anejo for value at $45 cdn but it would probably be fairly oaky and without the balance of the (cheaper) Reposado version. Should still taste good though. Tequila more than scotch I would advise you to get someone to bring you a bottle from abroad if you can as $40 can get you top-shelf brands.

I'm just advising you to be careful with the LCBO pricing on these Jordan.

2) I use Glencairn glasses but a small brandy snifter would probably do in a pinch.

- Regarding temp, most enthusiests I know drink it at room temp. The only debate I know of is when drinking blancos, some folks chill it just a bit (10-12 minutes in the fridge) because Blancos _can_ have a bit more of a bite. The majority of enthusiests that I know do not do this.

3) In my limited experiance I tried adding water a couple of times with poor results. With whisky this can help - especially with overstrength whiskies. Not here. Not sure why. If you try it I would suggest using something like an eye-dropper as the pour will be affected very quickly. I've never heard of this being common practice on the Blue Agave Forum (adding water).


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

Jordan303 said:


> Ooo lots of responses. I might have to dip in and get my feet wet. Just starting to enjoy scotch and getting past that burn.


If I may be so bold Jordan, we live near a distillery in Grimsby Ontario (Forty Creek) that is causing quite a stir in the whisk(e)y community. One good thing about living in Ontario is that the LCBO carries Forty-Creek products even the limited edition ones. The LCO is currently the recipient of over half the stock of Forty Creeks Confederation Reserve - a whisky that has garnered high acclaim (see www.canadianwhisky.org for a review). If you want to test the waters first, the Barrel Select which is finished in Cdn sherry casks (good with light-bodied sticks IMHO) is currently selling in the LCBO @ $24 with a freebee Value Added Item (50ml Double Barrel). The Confederation Reserve is getting serious attention and it's a one-shot release. At $70 its not an impulse purchase but that doesn't sound overpriced to me.

Just a thought.:canada:


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

Jordan303 said:


> Ooo lots of responses. I might have to dip in and get my feet wet. Just starting to enjoy scotch and getting past that burn. Been hearing good things about tequila, ill check out my local stores and see if they have any small bottles of the stuff you guys mentioned.
> 
> Keeping on the topic for new guys. What kind of glassware do you use, and is supposed to be drank warm,room temp, chilled, or cold?
> 
> Lastly when sipping do you add a few drops of water to open it up like scotch or no?


Cold deadens your taste buds, so the colder anything is the less flavor you will experience. Think of warm beer vs a beer soaking in an ice water bath. The more flavor you want to sense, the closer to room temperature you want it to be. And no, don't add water like scotch. As mentioned before, a shot glass or brandy snifter. Unlike wine where it benefits from a little air (swirling the wine in a glass) tequila will be the same in almost anything.


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## Jordan303 (Aug 16, 2008)

Frodo Ya I do like forty creek. I have some family that really likes their brandy icewine. Looks like im going to the lcbo today to grab some barrel select. I do have some friends comming from the states so i'll see what they can get me for tequila in a month.

Thanks a lot


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

Jordan303 said:


> Ooo lots of responses. I might have to dip in and get my feet wet. Just starting to enjoy scotch and getting past that burn. Been hearing good things about tequila, ill check out my local stores and see if they have any small bottles of the stuff you guys mentioned.
> 
> Keeping on the topic for new guys. What kind of glassware do you use, and is supposed to be drank warm,room temp, chilled, or cold?
> 
> Lastly when sipping do you add a few drops of water to open it up like scotch or no?


Tequila can be consumed in any type of glass and the flavor will be basically be the same. However, it seems that the preferred style of glass is a shot glass but maybe twice as tall as a normal shot glass.

I prefer, Tequila when drinking it straight, at room temperature. The agave flavors are really up front at room temperature. But, that's not too say it wrong to drink it chilled or even cold. I have one friend that keeps his go to tequilas in the refrigerator and pours shots straight from there. Try it different ways and see what you prefer.

I do not add any water, as I would when drinking scotch and some bourbons. I do not know anyone who adds a few drops of water.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

Frodo said:


> Damm fine tequila that Casa Noble. Only had the Crystal so far but have a bottle of the Repo in the cupboard. You have better taste than me Sir!
> 
> A quick question Johnny: Do you know what differences there are in production methods between Mezcal and Raicilla? I have an unopened half-bottle of Raicilla and was wondering what to make of it. The only thing I've dug up so far is that you can only use 1 type of agave when making Raicilla whereas you can use multiple types of agave when making Mezcal.


I really do not know what the differences are, if any, between Mezcal and Raicilla. Actually, Raicilla never came to mind during these discussions. It is rarely talked about. Personally, I believe that Raicilla and Mezcal are basically the same drink. Mezcal is really a form of Tequila but unlike Tequila it is made from all kinds of agave from different regions in Mexico. True Tequila is only produced from agave from the Tequila Region in Mexico. Raicilla is also made from a specific region in Mexico but I didn't do any research yet and I am not sure which region it is. Also, Raicilla is more or less considered the moonshine of Mezcal as it is home brewed for the most part.


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

Thanks Johnny. It just might be Mezcal from the Puerta Vallarta area made with one agave type whereas most mezcal is traditionally made in the Oxacca region.


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I really do not know what the differences are, if any, between Mezcal and Raicilla. Actually, Raicilla never came to mind during these discussions. It is rarely talked about. Personally, I believe that Raicilla and Mezcal are basically the same drink. Mezcal is really a form of Tequila but unlike Tequila it is made from all kinds of agave from different regions in Mexico. True Tequila is only produced from agave from the Tequila Region in Mexico. Raicilla is also made from a specific region in Mexico but I didn't do any research yet and I am not sure which region it is. Also, Raicilla is more or less considered the moonshine of Mezcal as it is home brewed for the most part.


Actually, you have this backwards. All tequila is mezcal, which is any drink made from any agave plant, but only mezcals made from the blue or weber agave made in specific regions (none of which are called Tequila) can be called Tequila.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

lbiislander said:


> Actually, you have this backwards. All tequila is mezcal, which is any drink made from any agave plant, but only mezcals made from the blue or weber agave made in specific regions (none of which are called Tequila) can be called Tequila.


I guess I had it a little confused, it's the city of Tequila. There is so much to remember!

Tequila (Spanish pronunciation: [teˈkila]) is a blue agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well suited to the growing of the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year.[1]

Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.[2] Mexico has claimed the exclusive international right to the word "tequila", threatening legal actions against manufacturers in other countries.

Yes, Tequila is a form of Mezcal, but not the same as Mezcal, as the process in which they are made is different. Anything made from Agave is essentially Mezcal, however, different processes used form different beverages. Tequila is the most popular and is far more popular than Mezcal can ever hope to be. Others are Racillia and Sotol.


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

Now that we got that settled, can we get back to drinking?


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

lbiislander said:


> Now that we got that settled, can we get back to drinking?


Okay then, I shall say no more on this topic!


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## quincy627 (Jul 2, 2010)

cigar loco said:


> Here some nice Tequila !!


 I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought. What were we talking about?


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

quincy627 said:


> I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought. What were we talking about?


I would quit my job and stay home forever if I had ^^^^^


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## phinz (Jan 5, 2010)

I have a particular weakness for Voodoo Tiki Tequila. Their Añejo is awesome.


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## KcJason1 (Oct 20, 2010)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I really do not know what the differences are, if any, between Mezcal and Raicilla. Actually, Raicilla never came to mind during these discussions. It is rarely talked about. Personally, I believe that Raicilla and Mezcal are basically the same drink. Mezcal is really a form of Tequila but unlike Tequila it is made from all kinds of agave from different regions in Mexico. True Tequila is only produced from agave from the Tequila Region in Mexico. Raicilla is also made from a specific region in Mexico but I didn't do any research yet and I am not sure which region it is. Also, Raicilla is more or less considered the moonshine of Mezcal as it is home brewed for the most part.


I had some friends who went on a tequila tasting tour in Puerta Vallarta and got to sample it... This year we went to cancun together and asked around and everyone looked at us as if we weren't supposed to know about raicilla... Needless to say we were unable to aquire any..


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